Folding crate.



C. HOFFMAN.

FOLD! APPLICATION FILED MAY 1 1. 1917.

NS CRATE.

Patented June 4, 1918.

INVENTOR 6267906 //0ff7a ATTORNEY WITNESSES gm 6 ill CLEMENCE HOFFMAN, F NEWPORT, MICHIGAN.

FOLDING GTE.

tpecifleation of Letters Patent.

Patented el lllm a, rare.

Application filed may 11, 1917. Serial No. 187,979.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLEMnNon HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, residin Newport, in the county of Monroe and Efizate of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Grates, of which the following is a s ecification.

This invention re ates to improvements in folding packing cases.

In carrying out this invention, my primary object is to provide a collapsible case wherein the parts are more rigidly and securelymaintained in the erected osition.

Another object is to facilitate co lapsing and erecting the case.

Further objects are to simplify the manufacture of the case and to provide a more convenient and eficient arrangement of parts.

With these objects in view and others which will hereinafter become evident, I

have embodied my invention in the form described in the specification, more articularly set forth in the claim, and de ineated in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the case partiall assembled.

Fig. 2 is a si e elevation illustra the case in the collapsed condition as arranged for shipping or storing.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the case in the collapsed condition.

Having more specific reference to the drawings, the case 1s represented in entirety by the numeral 1, and comprises a bottom 2, a front wall 3, a rear wall 4, ends 5, and a top 6. To permit collapsing the case, the rear wall 4 is swingingly attached to the bottom 2 and the top 6 to the rear wall, whereb in the collapsed condition the rear wall coincides with the inner surface of the bottom 2 and the top with the normally outwardly disposed face of the rear wall 4. The front wall 3 is adapted to fold under the bottom 2, and the ends are hinged to the adjacent portions of the front wall 3 for movement to a position in juxtaposltlon to the normally inward surface of said wall 3. The hinging connections may be of any convenient form and comprise in the present instance hinges 7 and 8 whereby the bottom 2 is joined to the front and rear walls respectively, hin es 9 securing the top to the rear wall 4 and hinges 10 attaching the ends to the front wall.

For more securely maintain the ends 5 m the erected position, the hinges 10 are attached to the ends a suitable distance from the vertical edges 12, and the front wall 3 is formed with grooves or channels 13 adapted to receive the. edges 12 in the outward movement of the ends, similar channels 14 being formed in the rear wall for receiving the opposite edges 15.

Means are provided Whereb the ends 5 may be secured to the rear wall 4 to maintain the casein the erected condition. Such means comprise, in the preferred form of my invention illustrated, projecting portions 16 of the edges adapted to engage openings 17 formed in the rear wall coincident with the channels 14 and terminall provided for retention in the openings 1 with rotatable wing-clamps 18 adapted to engage the outer surface of-the wall in the operative position.

To prevent relative movement of the parts of the case in the collapsed condition, I may provide the top with catches 19 adapted to engage eyes'20 on the front 3, and one I end-panel 5 with a similar catch 21 for engaging an eye 22 on the other panel. The usual hasp 23 on the top 6 and staple 24 on the front 3 enable the case to be locked when erected, and suitable hand-holds 25 are afixed to the end-panels 5 in the usual manner for convenience in moving.

In some instances, I may divide the interior of the case by a partition 26 secured in the erected case by insertion in channels 27 provided in the front and rear walls, and adapted to be disposed in the collapsed condition of the case between the bottom 2 and the front 3.

It is to be understood that the present embodiment of the invention comprises only one of many varied forms comprehended within the spirit of the invention, and I hereby reserve the right to such changes and alterations as may fall within the scope of the appended claim. a

I claim- In a folding box, a bottom, a rear wall hinged to the bottom and formed adjacent each end with a transverse channel and with openings coinciding with said channels, a

top' hinged to the rear wall, a front wall nels of the rear wall, projections on said'rear teeeptt tions attached to. the end walls at points in- -Ward1y from the front edges of the end Walls so that in the elected condition of the box the front ed es of the end walls will be en- 4 gaged in sei channels of the .front Well. i

In testimony whereof afix m% si eture. H0 FN. 

